Wound Care

Depending on the type of wound, its size and the phase of wound healing, two different approaches to wound management of minor wounds exist:

1. dry wound healing
2. physiological wound treatment in a moist environment, or `moist´ wound healing.

Dry wound healing

Objective of traditional wound care with standard plasters or gauze compresses is to cover and protect the wound, to absorb excess wound exudate and to keep the wound dry.

Essential feature of dry healing is that all repair and regenerative processes take place under a protective scab. This firm crust of coagulated blood is the body`s own wound cover protecting the wound against external influences.

Dry wound healing

Moist wound healing – the advanced treatment

The idea of moist healing was born in 1962 when George D. Winter discovered that epithelisation would proceed twice as fast in a moist environment than under a scab.

Today the principle of moist healing is generally accepted in the professional field, where many products have already been developed for the healing of chronic wounds via moist wound therapy.

Moist wound healing

Cell growth needs moisture and the principle aim of moist wound therapy is to create and maintain optimal moist conditions. Cells can grow, divide and migrate at an increased rate to optimize the formation of new tissue. During this phase of wound healing an aqueous medium with several nutrients and vitamins is essential for cell metabolism and growth.

The wound exudate serves as a transport medium for a variety of bioactive molecules such as enzymes, growth factors and hormones. The different cells in the wound area communicate with each other via these mediators, making sure that the healing processes proceed in a coordinated manner.

Wound exudate also provides the different cells of the immune system with ideal conditions to destroy invading pathogens such as bacteria, foreign bodies and necrotic tissues, diminishing the rate of infection.

Moist wound treatment is known to prevent formation of a scab, allowing epithelial cells to spread horizontally outwards through the thin layer of wound exudate to rapidly close the wound.

Wound healing after 14 days*

Standard dressing: Dry wound healing

Hansaplast MED Fast Healing: Moist wound healing

Summary: benefits of moist wound healing

• Up to 50% faster wound healing (epithelisation and dermal repair).
• Lower rate of infection.
• Painless removal of the dressing without destroying newly formed tissue.
• Less scarring and better cosmetic results.

^{* Intraindividual comparison of different plasters/dressings in an abrasive wound model. Beiersdorf AG, Medical Documentation.}